Thomas Thwaites is a London-based designer whose work blends speculative design, science, and storytelling to probe the boundaries between humans, technology, and the natural world. His projects, including The Toaster Project, which traced the history and techniques of metallurgy through building a toaster from raw materials, and GoatMan, in which he attempted to live as a goat, explore the intersections of materiality, technology, and human experience. Thwaites’ practice is celebrated for its curiosity, rigor, and imaginative approach to design.

Aric Chen is a Shanghai-based curator and critic whose research spans design, architecture, and visual culture. Formerly lead curator of architecture and design at M+ and curatorial director of Design Miami, Chen’s projects explore the cultural, social, and technological contexts of contemporary design. Through exhibitions, writing, and public programs, he advances critical dialogue around how design shapes—and is shaped by—the world around us.

They will be in conversation about Thwaites’ provocative projects and the ways in which speculative design can illuminate the complex relationships between humans, technology, and the natural environment.